Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Linear growth and child development in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-analysis
Christopher R Sudfeld1, Dana Charles McCoy2, Goodarz Danaei3
1Departments of Global Health and Population, csudfeld@mail.harvard.edu.
Background And Objective:
The initial years of life are critical for physical growth and broader cognitive, motor, and socioemotional development, but the magnitude of the link between these processes remains unclear. Our objective was to produce quantitative estimates of the cross-sectional and prospective association of height-for-age z score (HAZ) with child development.
Methods:
Observational studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) presenting data on the relationship of linear growth with any measure of child development among children <12 years of age were identified from a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO. Two reviewers then extracted these data by using a standardized form.
Results:
A total of 68 published studies conducted in 29 LMICs were included in the final database. The pooled adjusted standardized mean difference in cross-sectional cognitive ability per unit increase in HAZ for children ≤ 2 years old was +0.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-0.33; I(2) = 53%) and +0.09 for children > 2 years old (95% CI, 0.05-0.12; I(2) = 78%). Prospectively, each unit increase in HAZ for children ≤ 2 years old was associated with a +0.22-SD increase in cognition at 5 to 11 years after multivariate adjustment (95% CI, 0.17-0.27; I(2) = 0%). HAZ was also significantly associated with earlier walking age and better motor scores (P < .05).
Conclusions:
Observational evidence suggests a robust positive association between linear growth during the first 2 years of life with cognitive and motor development. Effective interventions that reduce linear growth restriction may improve developmental outcomes; however, integration with environmental, educational, and stimulation interventions may produce larger positive effects.
More Related Videos
03:35Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: December 1, 2023
08:10Neuroimaging Field Methods Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy NIRS Neuroimaging to Study Global Child Development: Rural Sub-Saharan Africa
Published on: February 2, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Population Growth
Nature and Nurture
Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Regression Toward the Mean
Exponential Equations for Modeling Growth
Three Developmental Domains
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...